The Monument
by QueenOfTheUniverse
Summary: Warrick remembers how he would have died if it hadn’t been for the quick thinking of one of his coworkers. A reworking of the season 8 finale. NG Rated PG13 for violence and language. AU. Odd One Shot.


CSI: The Monument: One Shot

A/N: This little one shot came to me out of nowhere. It's daring and heartbreaking, yet happy at the same time. It may be a little sappy too. And, for sure, it must be a little bit AU. I wasn't sure if I was going to finish it and ever post it, due to it's odd nature, but after seeing the movie UP from Pixar just now, I know that I have to finish it. And I must get it posted. Please enjoy this little piece, and if you liked it even just a little, please let me know.

* * *

The bronze monument stood in the field, alone, surrounded by wild flowers, soaking up the sunlight.

"Who are they?" the little dark skinned boy asked.

He pointed up at the two men locked in an embrace of love, their arms wrapped around each other, lips grazing. A cane lay between them, forgotten.

"Well, you see little man..." Warrick paused... "Just after you were born... Daddy was in an accident."

"You were?!" his voice held amazement in it as he swivelled his gaze back to his father.

"Yeah, I was."

"What happened? And what does this have to do with them?"

* * *

_Warrick got into his car. He was planning on going home. It felt like forever since he'd been there and he needed his sleep to continue the battle with Tina over his son the next morning. But it was that moment when McKeen appeared, wanting to apologize for missing dinner with the CSI graveyard team. He didn't see the gun in the Undersheriff's hand until it was too late. _

_Someone screamed and he flinched as McKeen turned and fired the gun at the figure attacking him. _

"_Greg!" _

_Both went down as Nick came running up, his legs collapsing, knees hitting rough pavement. _

"_Greg!... Oh God... no..."_

_The whole situation seemed so surreal. Warrick stumbled out of the car just as several police officers arrived on the scene. Jeffery McKeen struggled to get up, to escape, but Warrick was quicker. Getting his head about him, he thrust his foot on the Undersheriff's chest._

"_Nick?"_

_His coworker kneeled beside Greg, holding the other man's head in place, as blood dribbled from a wound in the side of his head. _

"_You sonofabitch! You sicksonofabitch!" Warrick couldn't contain his anger, as he kicked McKeen. _

_Officers grabbed him and wrestled the Undersheriff away from him, hustling him into the back of a police cruiser. _

"_Nick... is he..."_

"_He's alive..." Nick managed to gasp as he cradled Greg in his arms. _

_Greg blinked up at Nick, but he didn't speak, though his mouth opened and shut. He made no other movement. His eyes closed just as an ambulance pulled up. _

_

* * *

  
_

"Did he die?"

Warrick sighed. "No. No he didn't."

* * *

"_I'm afraid there's been some brain damage," the doctor said, still in his scrubs from the operating room. "The bullet, for the most part, grazed by some of the important parts of his brain. He recognizes the hospital. He knows your name, Nick."_

_At this, Nick's knees went weak and Warrick had to grab hold of him before he collapsed. "He knows who you are. But... his motor functions are off. It looks like he's going to_

_need constant care, at least until we can get him into rehab. When I have more information, I'll let you know... I'm sorry."_

"_Can I see him?" was Nick's only question._

"_Yes. Follow me."_

_Nick leaned on Warrick as they walked down the hall, looking as if he'd aged considerably. When they reached Greg's room, Warrick let him go in alone, and watched from the doorway. _

_Greg lay in the bed, weak, not moving much. His head was bandaged up pretty good, though it appeared he could still see. As his boyfriend came into view his brown eyes lit up. _

"_Nicky..."_

"_I'm here babe. I'm right here..."_

_

* * *

  
_

_A month passed, and Nick spent as much time with Greg as he could. He was there every time he had a nightmare when Greg made the nurses call him. He was there everyday as soon as he got off work in the morning. And he was there every time he had to go to rehab._

_Greg was getting better they said. He had started to learn to walk again. But it would take more time. Time spent in a special rehab facility where they could work with him further. But also time they weren't sure he had anymore. _

_Nick was there with him the day they told him his body was rejecting the medications. He'd come so far already, but this meant he could turn back into a near vegetative state. Only able to look and talk. If they didn't find something for him soon. _

_The rehab center wouldn't take him in his current condition. The hospital took him off all medication. Gave him something new. But he only began to deteriorate faster. Nothing seemed to be helping._

"_Nicky... I want to see the field again... the one where you kissed me... for the first time... please... take me home."_

_

* * *

  
_

"This was that field... wasn't it Dad?"

"Yeah, this was that field. Greg didn't want to go to rehab. He didn't want to be poked and prodded and forced to take medication that wasn't helping. So Nick ignored the doctor's orders and took Greg out of the hospital. He brought him here, several miles away from the desert where he'd taken him on their first date."

* * *

_Nick helped Greg out of his wheel chair and together they walked to the center of the field, Greg holding onto Nick with one hand and his cane with the other. Nick had spread a blanket over the grass but Greg wouldn't be lowered to the ground. _

"_I don't want to sit down, Nick." He tugged on Nick's arm with what little strength he had to turn his boyfriend around until they faced each other. "I want to remain standing forever. With you. I don't want to be a vegetable. I don't want to be apart from you, to have someone else have to take care of me while you work. _

"_This hasn't been easy on you. You tell me everything's fine... but I know. I don't want you to have to suffer for me anymore. I want to stay with you forever... Do you think I'm selfish?"_

"_No, G. Cause I want those same things. I see the same desperate look in your eyes every time I come to see you. And I just want you to be happy again. I'll do whatever it takes to stand by your side for the rest of time." _

_Nick's hand cupped Greg's cheek, his thumb caressing the warm skin. "I love you, G."_

_Their lips brushed together..._

"Like they are now?"

* * *

"Yeah, like they are now. I was waiting by the car since I'd driven them out here, when a strange storm picked up out of nowhere. The wind was crazy, tree branches whipping around something fierce, leaves blowing everywhere. The clouds rolled in, all dark and gruesome. I yelled at them to get back to the car before they got drenched, but they didn't seem to hear me. I couldn't see them for a moment or two and when the storm died away just as quickly as it had come, they were... well... they're where they belong now. Happy, together. I'm glad they finally got that chance."

"Which one's Greg?"

"The one on the left, with the sorta long, curly hair."

The young boy ran forward and hugged Greg's bronze leg tight.

"Thank you for saving my Daddy's life!"

"_You're welcome Eli."_

_

* * *

_

A/N: Don't ask where the idea came from for this. I really haven't a clue. I think I was on the bus to work... I know it's an odd little piece. But I still hope you like it just the same.

Also, please note, this story has not been posted to What Makes The Desert Beautiful(WMTDB) AKA www(dot)nickandgreg(dot)com, seeing as the site's not working. But as soon as I get the chance, it'll go up there. And, as always, this story will be up on my personal wiki. If you want automatic updates/reminders the moment I post a story or chapter, all you have to do is join my wiki! www(dot)queenoftheuniverse(dot)wetpaint(dot)com.

For those of you reading my Braden Sanders-Stokes story, you may have noticed that I put a list of family stories at the end of chapter 14 you should check out. Some of those stories are posted on WMTDB and not here, so if you're looking and you can't find them, that's probably why. But since the site's not working, you won't find them just yet. Sorry for the bad news guys... wish I knew how to fix it...


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